The new single from John Carter Cash, ‘The Lover’s Secret’, continues to explore the themes of love, longing and the lure of the sea that threaded through Cash’s recent concept album “Pineapple John”. However, ‘The Lover’s Secret’ is a standalone single that is actually the beginning of another project, one that has been a decade in the making. This is the opening chapter of an expansive narrative project that leans heavily into the mythic and the mystical, a world of mystery and fantasy and the conflict between passion and the perils of the deep. A haunting tale is set to equally haunting music. Lilting, echoing backing vocals add atmosphere alongside Cash’s ethereal autoharp and Caitin Evanson’s sweeping fiddle. Eerie electric guitars from Jamie Hartford and Bill Miller are layered over Dennis Crouch’s sonorous upright bass. Collectively, the instrumentation is richly textured and cinematic, masterfully arranged and crafted.
In ‘The Lover’s Secret’, we follow the tale of a young sailor onboard a whaling ship. Surrounded by a band of pirates and the reckless greed of his crewmates, he is the only survivor when a great beast rises from the sea to attack those who have exploited the ocean’s resources. After being washed ashore, the sailor finds himself succumbing to the call of a siren and his fate is sealed. The accompanying video is a dark, moody animation that follows the sailor’s story and presents the horrific fate of his crew.
Cash explains the narrative and video: “‘Into the Sea with My Love’ is a folk-rock, classical Appalachian opera. It was written as a stage performance, so creating the video took a very different turn. I wanted to capture the tale’s imagery visually, so I collaborated with an animated AI director. While none of the music incorporates AI, the video does – offering an opportunity to step into the gothic, mythical landscape of this fantastical story. This story has lived within me for years. ‘The Lover’s Secret’ is only the beginning of a much larger journey – a tale of love, loss, and the call of the sea that will unfold piece by piece. It’s a dreamscape that connects myth to heart.”
Having won multiple GRAMMY Awards for his work as a producer and contributing to many other GRAMMY-winning projects as a writer and producer, John Carter Cash is continuing the creative legacy of one of music’s pre-eminent families: June Carter and Johnny Cash live on through John’s art and music and imagination. Blending americana, folk, country and other influences
